Federal education officials have granted Connecticut’s request to delay standardized testing requirements connected to the Common Core State Standards. That will allow some breathing room for teachers before new evaluations connected to the tests begin.

"The observations happening in teachers' classrooms are too onerous for both the administrators and the teachers involved."Stefan Pryor

After mounting complaints from educators, Governor Malloy’s administration asked both state and federal officials for a slowdown in the pace of education reform. Connecticut has just received a waiver from the feds which will allow schools to continue to try out the new assessments, but districts won’t be required to use them right away. That directly affects teacher evaluations connected to the tests.

"We looked at the system as it's being implemented across the state," Pryor said, "and we said, you know something? The observations happening in teachers' classrooms are too onerous for both the administrators and the teachers involved. We're hearing a lot of feedback. It’s just taking too long. There’s too much paperwork."

Pryor said Connecticut will have to re-apply for another waiver next year, and he hopes the slowdown will help relieve the justifiable anxiety educators have been experiencing around the Common Core.